"The Believer's Security" Series

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“The Believer’s Security”

John 15:5-8 NIV

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

IF – Used here it is a conjunction, meaning that you must work with someone else. (on condition that)

There is a condition to remaining secure; you must work alongside the Lord (the vine).

The branch does not determine the destination of the vine, but it works with the vine and bears fruit.

There are some who say that once we receive Christ, we are eternally secure, regardless of our actions, but that is not what the word of God teaches.

I am not hear to disprove their belief, but to establish the security of the believer based on the word of God, teaching you what we believe and why we believe it.

Jude 20-24 NIV

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy- 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Our security is not based on our actions, but it is based on His actions.

Let me explain what I mean, Christ is the vine, we are the branches.

He decides the direction of the vine, we decide as a branch to remain with the vine. We will produce fruit either way, the difference is the profitability of the fruit.

There are two very distinctive things found in this passage that I want to look at this morning.

• “Unto Him who is able to keep you from falling.”

• “He is able to present you faultless to himself.”

1. He is able to keep you from falling.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

• No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.

Some say, I am just not good with all this temptation stuff.

Temptation is merely an examination of your true character.

• He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

This is just too much.

• He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

When Joseph was tempted to sleep with Potiphar’s wife, God provided a way out.

His security was discovered when he told his brothers, “you meant it for my harm, but God meant it for my good.”

God got him our of Potiphar’s house.

Joseph was better off in prison, than continuing to be tempted.

Had he given in to temptation, he would have willingly entered into sin.

His security in Christ was to flee, to run from sin.

Someone said, “Why is it that opportunity only knocks on your door once, but temptation will beat it down?”

What can we do to remain secure?

a. Building up yourselves on your most holy faith.

Romans 10:17 KJV

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of

God.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 KJV

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the

gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,

and of love, and of a sound mind.

We build up our faith by hearing the word of God and then by fanning the flame of the fire of God within us.

In the Old Testament, one of the jobs of the priests was to be a protector of the fire on the altar.

It was to never go out.